Medicine-dose dropper.



M. CUNNINGHAM.

MEDICINE DOSE DROPPBR.

APPLICATION FILED. APR-30. 1910 978,988, Patented Dec.20,1910.

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MEDICINE DOSE DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.30, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Mir/562mm MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

MEDICINE-DOSE DROPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed April 30, 1910. Serial No. 558,669.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM CUNNING- HAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Savannah, in the county of Ghatham and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMedicine-Dose Droppers, of which the following is a specificatlon,reference being had to the accom- .panying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inself-measuring receptacles, and has for its object to provide a simpleand inexpensive device of this character which is extremely convenientin use and may be easily and quickly operated.

Another object resides in the provision of a medicine vial or bottleformed with an interior measuring chamber, and means for closing saidchamber after the same has been filled with the liquid.

A still further object is to provide means for releasing the liquid fromthe measuring chamber, without necessitating the manipulation of acomplicated arrangement of parts, whereby the device may be operated inthe dark.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a medicine vial embodying my invention;Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sect-ion thereof; Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 illustrating the position of parts when the liquid isentering the measuring chamber; Fig. l is a section taken on the line 4%of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the stopper forclosing the inlet mouth of the measuring chamber, and Fig. 6 is asimilar view of the stopper which closes the outlet mouth of themeasuring chamber.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 indicates a bottle orother liquid receptacle. This bottle may be of any convenient form, and,as shown in the drawings, it is provided with a neck 6, which is closedby a screw cap 7. At the upper end of the bottle, where the same mergesinto the neck (3, a measuring chamber 8 is formed. The walls of thischamber areeformed of glass, the bottom wall thereof extending upwardlyand inwardly from the body of the bottle, as shown at 9. The upper endof the measuring chamber is formed with an interior frusto-conicaldepending wall 10, which provides acontracted entrance opening to thechamber. This mouth is normally closed by the stopper or valve 11. Thisvalve is formed with an annular wall or flange 12, upon one end, whichis adapted to be seated upon the top of the entrance mouth or opening ofthe measuring chamber, the remaining portion of said valve being ofconical form, and adapted to closely engage with the frustoconical wall10 in the mouth of said neck. A. plurality of radially extending guiderods 13 are arranged in pairs and are secured in the flange 12 of thevalve, the outer ends of said rods being provided with flattened heads13 for engagement with the inner wall of the bottle neck. These rods areconnected and braced by means of the vertical rods 18*. The rods 13extend around approximately two thirds of the circumferential extent ofthe flange,'and are adapted to maintain the valve in its proper positionabove the measuring chamber for engagement in the mouth thereof. Thisvalve is adapted to be securely locked in either its open or closedposition by means of the set screws 14:, which are threaded through thebottle neck and are adapted to bind against the flange of the valve. Inorder to prevent deflection of the valve in the bottle neck which mightbe,caused by careless tilting or knocking of the bottle, I provide theinner wall of the bottle neck with a longitudinal rib 22, the lower endof which is curved and merges into the valve seat 10 formed in the upperend of the measuring chamber. The annular flange 12 of the valve 11 isformed with a notch or recess 23 which receives the rib 22. The valvemember is thus guided in its longitudinal movement in the bottle neckand all possibility of its deflection or rotative movement eliminated.The constant shifting of the valve places considerable strain upon thearms 13 and their frictional engagement with the bottle neck would soonbecome insuflicient to prevent the displacement of the valve so that itwould not return to its seat in the measuring chamber. guide means abovedescribed all movement of the valve member except in a longitudinaldirection is eifectually prevented.

The body of the bottle is formed with a downwardly inclinedconcavo-convex lip 15,

By means of the additional which extends fromthe discharge opening ofthe measuring chamber 8. This outlet neck is adapted to be closed bymeans of a stopper l6 fixed upon the bottle 5 by means of a spring hinge17, which normally holds the stopper in the discharge opening and closesthe measuring chamber. An arm 18 is integrally formed with the stopperand is adapted to be engaged by the finger of the operator to overcomethe spring hinge 17 and release the liquid in the chamber. The outer endof the arm 18 is formed with an enlarged end as shown at 20, to receivea pivoted book 21, mounted upon the body of the bottle. In the operationof the device, the measuring chamber is adapted to contain a single doseof the medicine contained in the bottle. W hen the same is to beadministered to the patient, the bottle is turned to the position shownin Fig. 3. The valve 11 is provided with weights sufliciently heavy tocause the same to move outwardly in the neck of the bottle, and open themouth of the measuring chamber. The liquid will thus flow into thechamber 8, which, it will be noted, extends outwardly and down wardly atan incline to the longitudinal aXis of the bottle when the same istipped. The bottle is then turned to its normal position and the stopper16 being positioned in the discharge opening of the chamber 8 will closethe outer end of the measuring chamber, and prevent the escape of theliquid therein. The pressure on the arm 18 will raise the stopper 10,thus permitting the liquid to escape from the measuring chamber 8. Inthis manner, the necessity for pouring the liquid into a spoon and theliability of spilling and wasting the same is entirely eliminated. Incarrying out my i11- vention, the bottles or receptacles are adapt ed tobe formed with measuring chambers of varying sizes so that they cancontain different quantities of the liquid. Some medicines areadministered in doses of a table-spoon full, and others of a tea-spoonfull. Thus, by manufacturing the bottles with the proper sized chamberfor the par ticular medicine which they are to contain, the exactquantity of liquid for one dose will be discharged from the chamber witheach operation of the device. If desired, the valve member 11 may be.eliminated, and an ordinary cork provided. The cork will have to beplaced in the mouth of the chamber by hand, while the valve, as shown inthe preferred construction of the invention, is automatically seated,and unseated.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation ofmy improved self-measuring vessel will be readily understood. The deviceis extremely simple and efficient in use. All danger of an overdose ofthe medicine which might seriously aifect the eonvalescence of a patientis overcome. hen the measure has once been filled, the

l liquid may be retained therein for any length of time by simplylooking the valve 11 in its seat by means of the set screw 14. Thebottle may then be handled in any manner without danger of unseating thevalve and releasing the liquid. Owing to the simple construction of thedevice and the ease with which the same may be operated, a patient in aweakened condition may take the proper dose at the prescribed timewithout having to hold the bottle in an elevated position to pour themedicine into a spoon, which would probably be beyond his strength.Also, when whisky is prescribed in small doses, the invention provides asafe-guard fora patient and obviates the possibility of his taking toolarge a dose. The device may be manufactured at a low cost, and it isextremely durable and very efficient in operation.

IVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myimproved measuring receptacle, it will be understood that the same maybe variously modified without materially departing from the essentialfeatures or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having described my device, what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a vesselhaving a measuring chamber formed therein, a valve seat formed in oneend of said chamber, a valve member normally disposed in said seat toclose the measuring chamber, the tilting of said vessel being adapted tounseat the valve, said valve moving by gravity into its seat when thevessel is returned to an upright position to close the chamber and meansfor closing the other end of the measuring chamber adapted to bemanually operated to release the contents thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a vesselhaving a measuring chamber formed therein provided with an entrance anda discharge opening, a valve seat formed in the entrance opening of thechamber, a valve mo able in the vessel above said chamber normallydisposed in said seat, the tilting movement of the vessel being adaptedto unseat the valve, screws adapted to engage said valve to secure thesame in its seated or unseated positions and a closure for the dischargeopening of said measuring chamber.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a bottlehaving a measuring chamber formed therein adjacent to its neck, saidchamber having an entrance and a discharge opening, said entranceopening being disposed in the neck of the bottle and in eccentric;relation thereto, a valve movable in the bottle neck and normally seatedin the entrance opening to close the same, means for preventing therotative movement of the valve in the bottle neck. said 'valve beingunseated by the tilting of the bottle and movable into its seat bygravity, means for locking the valve against. movement in its seated orunseated positions and a closure for the discharge opening of themeasuring chamber.

t. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bottlehavinga measuring chamber formed therein adjacentto its neck andextending laterally therefrom, said chamber having a discharge openingat one end extending through the side of the bottle and an entranceopening at its other end disposed eccentrically within the bottle neck,a valve longitudinally movable in the bottle neck, a plurality ofradiating arms carried by the valve and extending partially therearound,said arms engaging with the wall of the bottle neck to guide the valvein its movement, said valve being movable into its seat by gravity, thetilting movement of the bottle being adapted to unseat the same and aclosure for the discharge opening of the measuring chamber.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bottlehaving a measuring chamber formed therein adjacent to its neck andextending laterally therefrom, said chamber having a discharge openingat its outer end extending through the side of the bottle, the other endof said chamber having an entrance opening to receive the liquidcontents of the bottle, said entrance opening being disposed ineccentric relation to the bottle neck, a weighted valve movable abovethe entrance opening and normally disposed in the same to close themeasuring chamber, means formed on the bottle neck engaging with thevalve to prevent its rotative movement, a plurality of arms carried bythe valve engaging with the wall of the bottle neck to retain said valvein alinement with the entrance opening to the measuring chamber, meansextending through the bottle neck for locking the valve in its seated orunseated positions, and a closure for the discharge opening of saidmeasuring chamber.

said discharge opening to close said measuring chamber.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a liquidcontaining vessel having an outlet neck formed thereon and said vesselhaving a liquid receiving measuring chamber formed therein adjacent tothe neck, a frusto-conical valve seat formed in one end of the chamber,a valve member movable in the neck of the vessel normally closing saidchamber and adapted to be unseated by the tilting of the vessel, means;for guiding the valve member in its movement, a downwardly inclineddischarge lip forming a continuation of' the chamber extending from oneside of the vessel, a stopper having an arm formed'thereon normallyclosing said discharge opening, a spring hinge mounting for said armupon the bottle, said hinge normally holding the stopper in thedischarge opening, and means arranged on the vessel adapted to engagesaid arm and retain the stopper in spaced relation to the dischargeopening, said spring being held under compression.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bottlehaving a measuring chamber formed therein adjacent to its neck, saidchamber having an entrance opening and a discharge opening, a valvelongitudinally movable in the bottle neck, guide means carried by saidvalve engaging with the wall of the bottle neck, a longitudinal ribformed on the bottle neck, said valve having a recess toreceive saidrib, said riband guide means being adapted to direct said valve in itslongitudinal movement and seat the same in the entrance opening of thedischarge chamber, and means arranged upon the bottle normally closingthe discharge opening of said chamber.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a bottlehaving a measuring chamber formed therein adjacent to its neck, saidchamber having an entrance opening and a discharge opening, a valvemember longitudinally movable in the bottle neck formed with an annularflange, means carried by the valve engaging with the bottle neck toguide said valve in its movement, a longitudinal rib formed on thebottle neck having its lower end curved and extending into the entranceopening of said chamber, the flange of said valve being formed with arecess to receive said rib, said rib and guiding means being adapted todirect said valve member in its movement into theentrance opening of thedischarge chamber to close the same, and manually operated meansarranged upon the bottle normally closing the discharge opening in saidchamber.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM. Witnesses:

F. M. TRUsLow, W. S. WINN.

